Method of providing person locator service

A method of providing person locator service in a telephone system comprising a plurality of stations, a plurality of telephone offices, a centralized data base, and a data communications network interconnecting the data base and the offices, said method being characterized by the steps of

• under direct control of a telephone subscriber, storing at the centralized data base information specifying the status of the subscriber for telephone call completion and a call completion number for completing calls to the subscriber if the subscriber is available for call completion,
• responsive to a call from a first one of the stations to the subscriber received at a first one of the offices at the originating end of the call, addressing the centralized data base to determine said status of the subscriber,
• responsive to the receipt of the call completion number from the data base indicating that the subscriber is available for call completion, completing the call from said first office to the call completion number,
• responsive to the receipt of status information from the data base indicating the unavailability of the subscriber for call completion, alerting the first station of the unavailable status,
• wherein the data base comprises a memory table uniquely associated with the subscriber having a frist storage location, and the storing step comprises receiving the call completion number from the subscriber by means of the data communications network, and entering the call completion number into the first storage location,
• the memory table comprises a plurality of further storage locations each signifying a different reason for the unavailability of the subscriber for call completion, and the storing step further comprises receiving the status information from the subscriber and setting the further storage locations in accordance with the status information.

In a telephone system comprising a plurality of stations, a plurality of telephone switching offices, a centralized data base, and a data communications network interconnecting the data base and the offices, a method for providing person locator service, characterized by the steps of

• forwarding to the centralized data base a telephone number and a person locator number received on a person locator update call from a first station,
• storing at the data base the telephone number in conjunction with the person locator number,
• forwarding the person locator number to the data base responsive to a person locator completion call at one of the offices from a second station directed to the person locator number,
• retrieving the telephone number from storage at the data base for a person locator call by using the person locator number,
• returning the telephone number to said one of the offices, and
• forwarding said last-mentioned call from said one of the offices using the returned telephone number.

A method of providing person locator service in a communication system comprising a plurality of stations, a plurality of communication offices, a data base, and a data communications network interconnecting said data base with at least one of said offices, said method being characterized by the steps of:

• storing at said data base information received from said one of said offices and specifying:
• a person locator service activity status for a subscriber for call completion, a call completion number for completing calls to said subscriber, and a plurality of different unavailability conditions for said subscriber sent to said data base from said one of said offices;
• addressing said data base to examine the stored information therein in response to a call from a first one of said stations to said subscriber, and
• determining at said data base in response to said information examining whether said call is to be completed from said first one of said stations through said first one of said offices to a second one of said stations identified by said call completing number.

A method of providing person locator service in a communication system comprising a plurality of telephone stations, a plurality of telephone offices serving said stations, a data base, a TSPS office, and CCIS facilities for data communication between said data base and said TSPS office, said method being characterized by the steps of:

• storing at said data base information received over said CCIS facilities from said TSPS office, said information specifying:
• the person locator service active for an entitled customer, a call completion number identifying a first one of said stations at which said customer is to receive calls, and a plurality of different status indications defining different service conditions under which said customer is to receive calls at said one of said stations;
• addressing said data base to examine the stored information therein in response to control signals sent to said data base from said TSPS office over said CCIS facilities during a call from a second one of said stations to said entitled customer, and
• completing a call connection between said first and second ones of said stations following the examining of said stored information.

A method of automatically deriving person locator service data from a data base system characterized by

• storing at said data base information received from a communication system, said information specifying:
• the person locator service active for an entitled customer, a call completion number identifying a first station at which said customer is to receive a call, and data for selectively charging a caller or said entitled customer for person locator calls to said first station,
• addressing said data base to examine the stored information therein in response to control signals received from communication system, and
• returning from said data base to said communication system coded data signifying the examined call completion number and the charging data for person locator calls.

A method of storing and deriving person locator service data from a data base system characterized by

• storing at said data base information specifying:
• a person locator number for caller toll-free calling on a charge to an entitled customer basis, a call completion number identifying a first station at which said customer is to receive a call, data for automatically charging all person locator calls to said customer, and data for an in-transit status of said customer;
• examining the stored information in response to a person locator call control message received at said data base;
• deriving a person locator call routing and charging message at said dta base in response to said examining;
• and sending the derived call routing and charging message from said data base for directing a person locator call through a communication system.

A method of deriving person locator paging service data from a data base system characterized by

• storing at said data base information specifying that a customer to be located is to be paged and a paging number designating a station from which said customer is to be paged,
• addressing said data base to examine the stored information in response to a call,
• sending from said data base to a communication system coded data signifying that said customer is to be paged,
• transmitting a message to a calling station indicating that said customer is to be paged, and
• communicating from said data base to said communication system data pertaining to the stored paging number for effecting a completion of a call connection through said communication system to said station designated by said paging number.